


The Heroine Who Shall Be Named

by Dragon_of_Dreams, pinarell01



Category: BS-X それは名前を盗まれた街の物語 | BS-X: The Story of The Town Whose Name Was Stolen, Linked Universe - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, ＢＳゼルダの伝説 古代の石盤 | BS The Legend of Zelda: Ancient Stone Tablets
Genre: A lot of liberties based on a forgotten media, A lot of this was by coincidence, Also BS-X Lorekeeper apparently, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Dimension Travel, F/M, Heroine of Light, Includes Historical Notes and Trivia, Legend angst, Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda), Misunderstandings, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Poor Legend, Technically not an OC, Written by the AST Lorekeeper, but might as well be, poor Dash, roller coaster of emotions
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-27
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-03-11 08:07:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,153
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28348134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dragon_of_Dreams/pseuds/Dragon_of_Dreams, https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinarell01/pseuds/pinarell01
Summary: For the past last days Dash has become tense over restless nights plaguing her and her town. When a mysterious portal opens up, she is suddenly thrusted back to a world that had haunted her for years: the world of Hyrule.Meeting nine young men sharing a familiar name, Dash must pick back up her role as the Heroine of Light and join the Heroes of Courage against an evil threatening time and space. But bitter memories resurface as one question plagues her mind. The reason why she picked up her role in the first place as a heroine in a world that wasn't her own:Why didn't Link appear?
Relationships: Hero of Light (Zelda: Ancient Stone Tablets) & Legend (Linked Universe), Hyrule & Legend (Linked Universe)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 19





	1. Upbringings of the Town's Shadows

**Author's Note:**

> Dragon wants to thank deeply to pinarell01 (Pin) for helping through the planning stages of this fic and letting it bring to light. Also, unless otherwise stated, most of the chapters will be mainly written by Dragon.
> 
> Thanks to jojo56830 for creating Linked Universe.
> 
> And also thanks to the preservationists who were able to save and restore the missing Zelda games and BS-X, for without them this fic would not exist in its current state. Or at all.
> 
> For more information of the BS Zelda games go visit this page on the Zelda Legends website.

The clear darkness of night veiled the vast endless sky, bringing only a cold, quiet breeze into the town’s streets. Its secret whispers spoke to exposed ears, alert on hunting rumors plaguing her people. Squeaks of vermin echoed in the shadows, stifling the only set of steps wandering alone in the bleak hours post-midnight. Dash glanced up at the only glimmers of light within the buildings, and the glittering stars blinked within the deep blankets of a sleeping dark town. The buildings, with their eyes shut from the world, lay dormant. Yet Dash walked on restlessly among them, distancing herself from the wind’s whispers frightening her so. Of shadows bringing eternal slumber.

From the south winds of the shores swept a cold chill, piercing through Dash’s skin. Dark clouds loomed over the ocean waters, swallowing the distant stars in their way into a dim sleep. Dash tightened her jacket and rushed on her path.

She sought for the robot tower—the mechanical marvel of a building with the functions of a robot, yet its large screen was shut blank. Only a certain lit window gave her hope. She pushed through the glass doors and climbed the stairs to the second floor, holding her breath as she walked past the desk filled with tools and mechanical parts before facing the double doors: Dr. Hiroshi’s office.

After Dash let out her breath, she knocked before opening the door. From the slight opening her eye caught onto the inventor. His worn face, wrinkled with age, creased with intensity as his eyes locked onto a motherboard, analyzing through a microscope’s lens and picking it with his tweezers. His hand still held the perfect stability of an experienced engineer as he took out a piece and set it aside, not missing a beat.

Taking a step forth, Dash carefully closed the door behind her and continued watching the doctor, noting his hand as he re-assembled the board and listening to the murmurs under his breath—murmurs meant for this room alone.

“Dash? Still struggling to sleep?”

Dash pursed her lips. Her vision fell on the robot on his desk, split open and pieces torn apart. The only recognizable centerpiece being the yellow satellite dish that used to be on the head. She approached it, a longing glance hovering over the remaining piece of her old buddy. “How is Parabo doing?” Dash asked the doctor.

Dr. Hiroshi straightened, eyes fixated directly on the young woman. “His age is showing,” he replied, fixing his glasses. “I requested specialized parts to bring him back as new, but you’d have to wait a little longer.”

Dash nodded. Her glance fell behind him, towards a red box with a rectangular hole cut open on its front. It lay down against the wall, with a pair of satellite wings leaned against it—wings once attached to her red buddy that she once always greeted as soon she opened her eyes in the mornings.

“Satebo…”

“Satebo too,” Dr. Hiroshi echoed. “He will take longer, but he’s nothing I can’t handle. They’ll be much better given a little time. I expect nothing less from our assistants.”

“Our assistants.” A smile adorned Dash as she reached out to the box—crouched to meet Satebo’s body: the body a husk of a television without a screen, but one that’d eventually be refilled with life. “I’d love to help work on him, doctor.”

“Dash.”

A rising hum answered within her throat. Dash lifted herself back to her feet and met the dark pebbles glimmering under the stark nightlight, deep within the doctor’s glasses. Dr. Hiroshi took out his glasses and Dash no longer saw the grand inventor, but her worried grandfather.

“I know you’re worried about them,” he started, “but worrying does no good. You should be sleeping, not be out at night.” He then sighed, starting to put his tools away into a case. “But I know something’s keeping you up. What’s been bothering you?”

The darkness, Dash wanted to say. But her voice hushed—she was no longer the little girl who’d imagine the monsters crawling in such shadows. No longer the girl who’d travel to fantastic worlds only to realize they were only as real as a game cartridge.

As real as games in a carnival.

“It’s probably nothing,” Dash ended up saying, turning to the window and glanced out to the sleeping town. “I can’t wait for morning to come. I just want to be like you—I want to bring our town back to life.”

Our town. The Town. Hushed whispers of her people refrained from uttering the name—even Dash’s lips quivered to silence at the attempt, of a name long forgotten from her mind. But her hand reached out to the window, grasping beyond her faded reflection and out to the darkness. Dash clenched her fingers, firm in resolution—one day she’d bring back the name of her precious town!

“I’m sure we will.” Dr. Hiroshi’s words brought Dash’s attention back to him. “Come summer we’ll see the town alive once again. People will come.”

A smile warmed up on Dash’s lips. She embraced her old man into her arms, and a hearty laugh reached her ears. Glowing embers radiated within her heart, flaming up out of her breath. “Someone has to know. There has to be.”

Said warmth returned back to her cheek. Dash pulled back and faced the dark, caring eyes. “Knowing you, I trust you’ll find the truth.” Pulling back from the embrace, Dr. Hiroshi continued. “But for now take it easy. How is that project of yours going?”

A gasp. “It’s been doing well!” Dash replied. Her smile widened. “I believe it just needs a few finishing touches. I’d love for you to look over it when it’s done!”

A laugh replied back. “That excited, eh? Tell you what, bring it here and we’ll work on it together. Maybe that’ll keep your mind off from your troubles.”

As if her widening grin wasn’t enough to convey the burning spark in her heart, Dash nodded. “Thank you, Doctor! I’ll bring it here!” She rushed out of the office and jumped down the stairs, pushing back in the open as sprinted through the streets. Her tied red hair swept through the chill winds.

The dark clouds caught up to the shore, clawing to town as Dash ran north to her home. The distant showers rang in the air, threatening to pour over the distant streets and let the waters claim them as their own.

 _I should get an umbrella._ Dash grimaced as she looked up to the sky. The stars that once claimed the world above her vanished, obscured by shadows.

_Not that’d be much of a problem._

But she’d have to reach home before the storm claimed her too. Dash picked up her pace, pushing though laboring breaths burning from her chest. She’ll make it in record time— _argh!_

The world crashed. Her body flared as Dash hit the pavement. She flung her eyes back open, her vision glued to the swirling dimness around her. “W-who?” Forcing herself to look around, she saw no distinct figure within the swirls and mists of the stormy night. Shadows only twisted to shadows.

Yet her back burned aflame against the breeze. Dash pushed herself back to her feet, rubbing off the lingering pain. “Is anyone there?” She flicked her wrist, and with a flicker of her eye she recalled she only wore her watch.

Stepping back, Dash debated between lightening up the watch or keep herself hidden among the lone, concealed streets from preying eyes. Then a familiar voice chilled her blood cold, worse than the drenched gusts picking at her bones.

“It’s been nice to see you.”

Dash’s breath hitched. Her legs twisted as she ran away from the voice, summoning her watch’s map to light and turned for the quickest—and safest—path to her home.

 _She couldn’t be back,_ Dash thought. _Not Reiti. Not again!_

But she’d recognize that voice from anywhere…

Through the bare streets and alleyways into her neighborhood, Dash reached home and burst the door open. She rushed to her desk, picked up and clasped her module bracelet to her wrist before grabbing her project: her flame-colored blade adorned with a golden handle and a deep red gem at its heart.

But she didn’t have time to admire project Lux. Even as the pouring rains hissed through the walls and drowned the streets outside, Dash burst out of her home just as she had entered, soaking herself into the storm. Her white boots splashed through the concrete ponds. Through her map’s guidance Dash sought for Reiti. _Can’t let her threaten my home again._

And then a low growl rumbled under the waters. Dash froze to a halt as glittering red stars glared from the depths of the streets. A monster crawling in the shadows… _No._

Still, the grip on the weapon tightened. The red stars vanished. A reptilian tail swung at the air as the creature—monster—twirled and fled.

Dash chased after it, illuminating her watch into a flashlight, bright as the moon on a clear sky. At the press of the gem the sword burned, vaporizing the rain to mists. The creature, a man-sized lizard, dashed through the buildings and ran towards the open fields of the Event Plaza.

_Event Plaza!_

Dash stopped. The plaza had long been shut down since its days as a crash site. _Aliens_ , her town’s people had murmured since the discovery. Others whispered of a satellite crash, sprouted from the issues the Satellaview system developed before that fateful day. And without Satebo’s and Parabo’s service in broadcasting the system, the plaza became a husk waiting to reopen back to life.

Then why… _how?_ How did radiant purple lights emanate from the heart of the plaza? As if a venue opened overnight, with its grand, lit entrance beckoning people to seek its secrets. Dash shut her watch’s light off and the entrance became even more spectacular as she approached it in the darkness.

Her watch then rang. Dash answered without a glance, eyes transfixed the new open venue. “Yes?”

_“Where are you?”_

“Doctor? I’m sorry but looks like I caught onto something.”

_“Dash? What did you find?”_

The entrance’s various lights swirled towards its center, into an endless void that granted no view for a peeking eye. A hand wavered upon its reach among the swirls. Fingers distorted in their lights. Dash flinched.

“I don’t know, Doctor, but it looks like—” she screamed.

_“Dash!”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Hero of Light from The Legend of Zelda: Ancient Stone Tablets actually originated from a game called BS-X: それは名前を盗まれた街の物語 (also translated as "The Story of the Town Whose Name was Stolen"). The game serves as a hub world/menu where players could obtain exclusive content and download broadcasted games for the Satellaview peripheral.
> 
> The Satellaview was an add-on device for the Super Famicom (the Japanese SNES) originally released in 1995. The satellite modem peripheral allowed players to access such broadcasted content under a subscription given they were available during the broadcasting period. Among such content included games, magazines, radio shows, music and character libraries.
> 
> Due to the nature of such service, games were broadcasted and playable for a limited time. When the service ended at the end of June in 2000, they were no longer playable even if you downloaded the game data. The Satellaview peripheral became a relic of technological history.
> 
> Among such games included BS The Legend of Zelda and BS The Legend of Zelda: Ancient Stone Tablets (The BS stands for "Broadcasting Satellite"). They became the forgotten Zelda games due to their inaccessibility to their players, both for Japanese and overseas. Those games, in their original form, became lost to the seas of time.


	2. We Who Travel on the Road

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter written by Pin. Endnotes written by Dragon.

If there was a place Legend felt most at home, it was the open road. Be it across vast fields of wild grass, through thickets teeming with life, or among rumbling rivers, there was something comforting about the open road. Even if he slept in the softest bed in all of Hyrule, even if he had the best night’s rest in months or freshly prepared food on a platter, Legend would happily trade those away for life on the road. And more often than not he did, because to not do so would mean tying himself down to a place, to become less mobile, to become less free. So, imagine the feeling when he realized he could now have all that he wanted without having to agonize over a single bit of it.

In the several months the Heroes of Courage have been traveling together, the need to have to stay in a village had been greatly reduced, as each one possessed an array of skills and knowledge in order to survive in the wilderness. Together or alone, they could almost live on the road almost forever. However, supplies weren’t always found on the field or in a cave, which meant that, occasionally, detouring to a village became a necessity. On such occasion the group had to make a detour and, sure enough, the Hero of the Four Sword managed to offend the local smithy.

“They don’t know what they’re doing!” the diminutive hero vented as he and Legend walked back to the inn. “Longswords need more time in the forge and more care when hammering the blade’s beam. Where’s the finesse? The skill? They should advertise their work as _Quality Moblin Smithing_ rather than Hylian. Geez.”

“Keep this up, Four, and soon no one would want to lend us bench-space for repairs,” Legend replied in a half-serious tone. “Soon all the eras will have posters of your short head with bold letters proclaiming: _‘Keep this know-it-all out!”_

“Shut it, Legend. Let a master smithy rant in peace. And besides,” he jabbed his thumb towards the sword on Legend’s back, “you’re an apprentice smithy, aren’t you? You know where I’m coming from, right?”

Legend frowned. “I do, but you can be less abrasive about other people’s work. What would you do if people just waltz up to your forge and insulted your work?”

“They don’t, because I’m the best smith in my era.” The finality in that response signaled the end of the subject.

Eventually, after making several more stops for supplies, the two heroes finally arrived at the inn. Its size and amenities were neither here nor there, but the rate for three rooms-a-night was favorable. In Legend’s eyes, a necessary sacrifice before going back to the open road. As they walked through the door a voice full of warmth called them over to the bar, where the innkeeper awaited them.

“Masters Smith, Jack, welcome back,” greeted the innkeeper as the two heroes walked over. It’d been unwise to use their real names in most cases and even then, who would believe that all nine of them genuinely shared the same name? So, when they booked their rooms for the night, each hero had told the innkeeper a false name.

And it seemed he bought it. “I was told to give you two a message,” the innkeeper continued. A pause came as he looked over his guests, noticing the large sack on Legend’s back. “Oh? Had a fruitful outing, I see? Quite a bit of goods you have there. Traveling far, I take it?”

“Yes, sir,” answered Four. “We tend to travel for weeks at a time, so we don’t often have the chance to stock up.”

“Weeks at a time?” asked the innkeeper. “That’s a mighty long while to be away from a place for so long, especially in these times.” The last words ran colder than his earlier greeting.

Legend thought the opposite, to an extent. While the roads were always a danger, he and others knew how to fight and, in his opinion, not having a place to stay meant no restrictions. A good thing, but as much as Legend dared tell the innkeeper he kept his mouth sealed. Not when the man’s glance softened.

“However,” the innkeeper’s voice regained some warmth as he continued, “your group certainly looks capable of such an outing. Some of you even look like the knights of old!” He laughed a bit at that notion.

Legend stiffened from rolling his eyes, the man completely unaware of how true his observation was. He cleared his throat. “Pardon me, sir, but you said you had a message for the two of us?”

“Oh yes, nearly forgot! Let me see…” The innkeeper ducked under the bar and emerged with a letter in hand. “From Master Lon, said to give this to you two when you returned.” Four took the letter, thanked the innkeeper, and the two heroes made their way to their rooms on the second floor.

“What do you think this is about?” Four asked once they were out of earshot. “Time doesn’t normally do this when we’re on these breaks.”

“Open the letter and find out,” huffed Legend as he carried the heavier items up the stairs. _I should have taken my Power Bracelet with me…_ he thought to himself. Four opened the letter and gave it a glance once-over before reading it aloud:

_“William and I stepped out to get some intel before we head out tomorrow. We should be back by sundown. I’ve left Lupus in charge of the group. He’ll most likely be near the stables with Epona when you two get back. Check-in with him so that he doesn’t get too worried about people being missing._

_-Lon.”_

“Alright, we drop off the supplies and then head down to Twilight,” Legend said as they reached their rooms. Four went to his room, with whom he was sharing with the Heroes of the Sky and Wind to drop off his supplies while Legend went to Time’s room. As expected, the room of the Heroes of Time, Warriors, and Twilight was empty except for a large pile of supplies in one corner. The new supplies were placed there before Legend went to his room to drop off his own purchases.

To his general surprise he found the Hero of Hyrule inside, napping in his bed. Rare to see the young hero asleep so soundly alone in what was effectively a stranger’s home, until Legend noticed the dagger gripped within the boy’s hand. The Hero of Legend sighed softly as he placed the goods on his bed.

“Getting any sleep, Hyrule?” asked Legend quietly from his bedside. A stir caught his attention as Hyrule rose from the bed, eyes focused on him but then quickly relaxed.

“As best I can,” answered Hyrule. “Can’t be too careful when in strange places and eras.” As a sort of testament, he held the dagger up. “I know you said that it’s not a good habit to keep, but I feel too vulnerable without it.”

“You have your reasons, no need to apologize,” said Legend. “Just part of living out on the road, eh?”

Hyrule nodded quietly at this remark and looked back down to his dagger. While some of the other heroes have tried to pry into Hyrule’s own journeys, no one was able to get much out of him except that he, like the others, saved his era’s Princess Zelda ( _twice?_ ) and the land from the Evil King Ganon (or Prince, but the question of his designation did not hold much significance). Even then, it didn’t sit well to Legend that Hyrule never slept without his dagger and that this habit was a result of the latter’s journeys, so he was told some weeks ago.

And so, the pair settled into silence for a time, letting the surrounding village fill the room with the going about of daily life. Horses, traders, chickens, mothers, and troublemaking children—all sounds of life in a village within a time of relative peace. Even as the sun hid behind a neighboring building, casting shadows into the room to darkness, the plain energy of the afternoon kept the heroes alert. Legend let his mind wander, thinking about how this time tomorrow the heroes would be on the road again and back on their journey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BS The Legend of Zelda, originally released in August of 1995, was the first game overall to have been broadcasted to owners of the Satellaview peripheral. It is also the first game to use the Soundlink system in which data, including an orchestrated soundtrack and a voiceover track, was streamed simultaneously along with the game during the broadcast.
> 
> While many consider BS The Legend of Zelda a remake of The Legend of Zelda for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), or the Famicom as it was known in Japan, the assessment doesn't present the full story. BS Zelda is more akin to a remix, a third (and fourth) quest(s) of the original rather than a proper remake. Many of the changes include new dungeon designs, timed events, an overhauled overworld due to time constraints, and playing as the BS-X avatar instead of the green hero, Link.
> 
> With the biggest change being the dungeon design, players could experience the first six dungeons in the shape of letters spelling out "St. GIGA" and the last two dungeons being the shape of the skull and a down-facing arrow respectively for Map 1. For Map 2, the dungeons instead spell out "NiNtENDO". This contrasts with the NES Zelda, in which dungeons are based or loosely inspired by certain symbols and creatures, such as "Eagle" for level 1, "Manji" for level 3, and "Demon" for level 7. This arrangement spells closer to the second quest of NES Zelda, in which its dungeons were also rearranged to present another challenge of the game to familiar players.
> 
> In terms of its impact to The Legend of Zelda's overall lore, it's safe to assume its insignificance. BS Zelda combines the backstory of A Link to the Past (ALTTP) as the backdrop to the equivalent of NES Zelda's present story, implying a cut or nonexistence of certain events and games such as ALTTP itself and its sequels.
> 
> Another point that cements its lack of canonicity is explained within the game itself. As the Old Man states the following: "This world exists only within a predetermined time. When the moment comes, this world, like a dream, shall vanish."
> 
> The wording and sentence structure heavily implies that BS Zelda's world is an illusion—a false world running in parallel to the truer NES Zelda's Hyrule. While NES Zelda stands in its place in the timeline, BS Zelda vanished in its shadows. Regardless if you call it a remake or a remix, BS Zelda could never replicate the impact of its NES counterpart. 
> 
> It never was meant to be.


End file.
